Recommend me a car: 3 across car seats, under $9k.....

[TheHiker]

I'm wracking my brain thinking of what to replace my 2004 Corolla with. We're already replacing our 2005 Honda Pilot with a 2007 Toyota Sienna LE and that will be the primary family hauler. I will only need to transport 3 kids (one 5 year old in a booster, one 1 1/2 yr old in a rear facing convertible, and one infant on the way in a rear facing) for very short trips to and from daycare or school periodically. Otherwise, it is usually a solo vehicle getting me to and from work which is about 55 miles a day round trip.

I'm a car guy- and don't really have any other vices other than wanting something that is at least semi-entertaining to drive. My Corolla is reliable....but is mind-numbingly boring to drive. I am definitely shooting for something with a manual transmission, but would take something that was automatic if it had other good attributes.

So far I'm pretty much pointing to a 2003 or 2004 Honda Accord 5spd but wanted some other opinions. The cheaper the better, but obviously reliability is a concern and gas mileage is a plus. The 3 across seat config is really what kills a lot of options.

Any opinions welcome!

[jcantanixon]

At that price point and needing a big back seat, I think the Accord is your best bet. The Altima or Mazda6 would be a little more fun to drive, but they won't be as reliable. The Camry would be reliable, but it would cost a bit more and be the same boring drive.

IMHO, none of those remotely approaches fun to drive

[RSQ Pilot]

Look for a Toyota Avalon....just sold a '96 XLs this spring w/ 98K. Nice road car, bought it off my sister who had it since new. Got 31mpg on a 650 mile highway road trip with its V-6 and 22 in town huge rear seat...great ride...actually liked it better than the Accords....JMO

[TheHiker]

Yes I know "fun to drive" is a relative term . But the Corolla...it truly is driving an appliance. I've driven Accords before and yes they are a boring family sedan- but at least having the involvement of a decent shifter and semi-responsive engine are a step up!

In my younger days I had a 1999 Buick Regal GS with the supercharged 3.8 that I did various mods to...and while it was a typical GM in build quality of that time, it was still fun to get on it. Not so much in the turns of course.

RSQ- I like the Avalon, they are fine, reliable cars, but not much in the way of driver involvement.

It's unfortunate the WRX and Mazda 3 are just too small- they're definitely more sporty. I'm still researching if 3 across works at all in those.

One other option is a 3rd car that is purely fun in the $3000 to $4000 range that wouldn't be a money drain or constantly in need of work.

[N_Jay]

How did we ever survive as a species with almost 70 years of sitting in the front seat and sleeping in the way-back?

Not to mention, rides in the back of pick-up trucks?

[RSQ Pilot]

Originally Posted by TheHiker

Yes I know "fun to drive" is a relative term . But the Corolla...it truly is driving an appliance. I've driven Accords before and yes they are a boring family sedan- but at least having the involvement of a decent shifter and semi-responsive engine are a step up!

In my younger days I had a 1999 Buick Regal GS with the supercharged 3.8 that I did various mods to...and while it was a typical GM in build quality of that time, it was still fun to get on it. Not so much in the turns of course.

RSQ- I like the Avalon, they are fine, reliable cars, but not much in the way of driver involvement.

It's unfortunate the WRX and Mazda 3 are just too small- they're definitely more sporty. I'm still researching if 3 across works at all in those.

One other option is a 3rd car that is purely fun in the $3000 to $4000 range that wouldn't be a money drain or constantly in need of work.

3 accross rear seating for KIDS and CAR SEATS with a manual transmission is going to be hard to find.....happy hunting...

how about a 1963 Chevy Impala with a 327 4sp?????

[rocky]

A Corolla is a sure fire boredom machine. I had one for 155k miles......totally lacking in enjoyment except when I found an empty road in Maine and sent it up to 95mph....that was exciting when the road suddenly ended in dirt.....

Guessing that a 2003 Accord has to be $15-18k. For that money get a 2007-9 Ford Taurus with the 3.5 and auto. Big ass rear seat for the kids, nice Volvo chassis in 2wd or awd. The Ford 500 was similar body but a 3liter engine. Some had CVTs and some regular trannys.

[cwa107]

Stay far away from the Mazda6, mentioned earlier. I have never owned a more craptastic vehicle.

I just traded my '07 Accord EX-L V6 and was very pleased with it. The only weakpoint on those cars is the door seals. Test drive it on a warm day if possible and listen for squeaking as this is a very common problem that can be elusive to correct.

[sblvro]

since your from WI, a used pilot is almost in the $9K realm. 3 rows, more room, guaranteed 4wd(03-05). pick a different color pilot from what you have now. you have silver, a white or red would be nice

[TheHiker]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

N_Jay: I don't make the laws- so in the back they go. And today's airbags definitely aren't good for little ones in the front.
RSQ: I'd gladly drive the Impala- but would feel guilty leaving it outside all winter! Would love to hear a 327 startup every morning on my way to work though.
Rocky- thanks for sharing my boredom with the Corolla. And actually the 2003-2004 Accords can be had for $8k to $9k- they'll just have higher miles. Typically around the 100,000 mark.
CWA- I wasn't aware of the door seals being an issue! Will definitely keep that in mind. I did some searching on the Mazda 6 website, admittedly briefly, but saw more threads about blown motors on the V6 than I was comfortable with.
sblvro- Not a terrible idea, but honestly my car is empty 90% of the time driving to and from work, so I'd feel I'd be wasting the room of the Pilot. And I really miss driving a manual tranny and something that corners decently.

[keepclam]

You could definitely find a manual transmission Outback or Legacy (sedan or wagon version of either) that would fit in your price range and could be somewhat fun to drive (as long as you avoid their headgasket issue), and would be great with your winters.

The real problem with anything is going to be the width. 3 across would be a challenge in anything much smaller than a Pilot... we just swapped our fun, 6-cyl 2006 Outback 3.0R for a Pilot for that very reason. 2 carseats and a booster could fit in Outback, but it'd be really tight and the kid in the booster may not have room to buckle the seatbelt... it'd have to be buckled first and then have the kid slip through it into the seat. Far from ideal, but maybe it could work if it was very infrequent. And you'd want to check the seats first to be sure they'd fit.

Avalon would probably give you that width... definitely no manual tranny, though. Whadda bouta Volvo?

[Shindig78]

Originally Posted by keepclam

Whadda bouta Volvo?

That's what I'm thinking. Check out a Volvo S70 or S80 (though the S80 is automatic-only). An Acura Legend or RL might fit the bill, too, but these are auto-only options, too.

This is a tough one. You want just the right combination of width, sport, reliability, and price, and it is hard to get all four. Here's what I would consider, though they may not all meet your requirements for reliability:

Volvo S70
Volvo S80
Saab 9-5
Mercedes E or S Class (older)
BMW 5 or 7 Series (older)
Lexus LS
Acura Legend or RL

You'll be looking at '90s versions of these cars, but if they have been well maintained they should be reliable. The Subaru Legacy is also a good choice, but it may not be wide enough for three car seats.

[cwa107]

Originally Posted by Shindig78

You'll be looking at '90s versions of these cars, but if they have been well maintained they should be reliable. The Subaru Legacy is also a good choice, but it may not be wide enough for three car seats.

My wife has the most recent version of the Legacy and I can attest that the rear seat is wide enough for 3 car seats. In fact, it's a lot roomier than my '07 Accord was in the rear.

Of course, since it was just revised for 2010, you'd be looking at a new car. But the pricing really isn't all that bad. Ours stickered for $24K (2.5i premium with CVT automatic). We haggled down to invoice quite easily and then got them to add the media bridge (ipod integration), all weather package and auto-dimming mirror with homelink and compass in that price. A comparable new Accord probably would have set us back another $2K+

I'd imagine that if you can find a 2010 leftover, you might have even more latitude.